SocialDot, a new app, lets you connect with people in your physical proximity.

With social networks wrestling for the top position, there seems to be little space for smaller companies who are literally focusing on a feature of two from Facebook, Twitter, or other social network. However, for an app with something different, more importantly, something refreshingly new and useful, there’s always potential users. SocialDot, a new way of connecting and communicating, fits the recipe.

Using GPS, SocialDot lets you connect and communicate with the people in your physical vicinity whom you don’t know. For instance, if you made eye contact with someone at an event but no one introduced you to each other, you can connect using SocialDot. The app provides an intuitive way to create new connections and engage with them while they are in your approximate surroundings. You can send and receive messages through the app in order to build your network with people around you. The app has a wonderfully simply interface that lets you get connected with just a few taps on the screen.

When you are moving and you want to find new friends in a new place, you can choose to display your Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn profiles and let people in that region connect with you. You can choose whether you want to display all of your profiles or just any of these. It is also possible to be available only for private messaging with other people near you without showing your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profile. You don’t even have to reveal your email address to receive such messages.

You can also block users if you don’t want to continue talking to them. You can swipe your finger on the unwanted contact and that’s it. You won’t receive any messages from him or her anymore. If you decide to unblock later, you will have to go to settings in the app.

Strikingly similar to Facebook’s ‘stalking app’, Find Friends Nearby, SocialDot also takes the pain out of ‘friending’ or ‘following’ a person you’ve just met – a frustrating experience – carefully spelling out names, looking through the photo list to find yourself, etc. SocialDot makes connecting to people near you simple; using a social business card, if you will. The app allows you to add your social profiles and create connections through private messaging without having to compromise your privacy. It has all the ingredients to be the Social Business Card for the future.

The fourth amendment of the U.S constitution protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizure. The famous Roy Olmstead case of 1928 used this amendment in its defense when Olmstead was charged with a crime using evidence collected from phone tapping. Although the Supreme Court denied the defense, it gave way to a heated privacy debate that continues today.

With time, telephones became commonplace and hundreds of citizens faced similar situations. The court eventually extended protection under the fourth amendment to make it compulsory for police to have a warrant for securing telephone communication as evidence, just as they would need a warrant if searching person’s home.

However, legislature has been unable to keep pace with emerging technologies, namely the arrival of the Internet and the advent of mobile. The government continues to demand consumer data from mobile and tech giants and its anyone’s guess if consumer privacy (and our fourth amendment right) is being infringed up. According to Economist, American Mobile phone carriers received 1.3 million requests from the government for user-data in the last year alone. America’s largest mobile service provider, Verizon, received requests for customer data at an alarmingly increasing rate of 15% over the past five years. Most mobile operators have a dedicated team just to process consumer data requests from government offices.

“We cannot allow privacy protections to be swept aside with the sweeping nature of these information requests, especially for innocent consumers,” said Rep. Ed Markey, who is co-chairman of Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus. He added, “we need to know how law enforcement differentiates between records of innocent people, and those that are subject of investigation, as well as how it handles, administers, and disposes of this information.”

Privacy concerns are not just for the mobile users; Internet users face similar concerns. A Times poll found out that 82% of Californians were unhappy about privacy breaches by major tech companies. On a scale from zero to ten (with zero meaning no trust and ten meaning complete trust), Apple scored highest with 4.6, while Google managed to score only 3.8. YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn were all below Apple and Google. No one scored over 5!

In 2011 alone, Google received more than 12,000 requests from the American government for access to consumer data. Google responded to most of requests by providing requested data.

While the legislative pillar of the American government has failed to catch up with ever-changing technologies, privacy is still a priority and it’s not going away. What do I mean? I think Rep. Ed Markey puts it best: “People drove automobiles before there were seat belts or air bags … but as time progresses, in the same way you can have both automobiles and safety, you can have the Internet and privacy — and I think that day is arriving.”

Once upon a time paper resumes were submitted when applying for a job. With Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tumblr, you don’t need old-fashioned resumes any more.

Are Paper Resumes Obsolete?

Remember the days when submitting a resume or two seemed like the proper way to apply for a job? Some people say that those days are over. Today companies do recruiting via Linkedin and there are reports that even Facebook may soon be an online-employment broker.

On NASDAQ it was reported that Facebook had plans to launch its job boards along with partnering companies. That would mean your digital repute will depend heavily on your Facebook page; meaning it may be time to take down those kissing photos and give that good ol’ Facebook page a fresh scrub down. Alternatively, many people may delete and/or create a new page entirely; something new and professional.

Could Facebook or LinkedIn job boards kill the “old fashioned” paper resume? We don’t know. All indications, however, seem to tell us that paper resumes may soon become passe. It’s happening already on LinkedIn (you’ll notice on the right sidebar, you’re often “invited” to apply for certain jobs based on criteria in your profile). This is data mining at its best.

A CNN article reported on Gretchen Gunn, a principal at MGD Services, a staffing firm in Stockton, New Jersey, who said that at job fairs these days, no one comes up to her with a paper resume. If they do, she simply asks for an email. She does admit that years ago her fax machine was always busy, but today even the fax machine is out of use. Another example is Rachael King, a community worker in San Francisco who used Pinterest to display images of her speaking engagements, links to news articles and things she had done in her career. She calls her page her “Living Resume.”

While a living resume is a sweet idea, your digital repute isn’t just about the information your share with prospective employers voluntarily. Many employers search for your YouTube channel to see how you express yourself and check on what your ideas really are. Other companies in the marketing space will review the Twitter and Facebook profiles of a prospect to assess if they’re qualified (based on their social media prowess and how well it influences people). Half the interview is done before a prospect walks in the door and there are no paper resume involved whatsoever.

Union Square Ventures, a New York venture-capitalist company that invests in startups hired two analysts a month ago – not based on their resume – but rather their “web presence”. This means that your web/digital reputation does matter. So if you have no intention of cleaning up your digital ‘act’ then make sure your privacy settings limit what the general public can see. But don’t stop there –since you don’t know if a hiring manager is a friend of a friend, you’d better limit your profile so even friends of friends can’t see what’s on your page (think six-degrees of separation).

I can’t predict the future, but if Facebook develops its own job board, paper resumes may certainly become obsolete. But either way, they’ll be replaced with a digital alternative; so what will always matter are your skills, your education and your previous work experience –the basics, which really do not change.

First trending we have “RIP Justin Bieber.” Then later, “Ask Steve Jobs.” Twitter kills people who are still alive and asks questions of those that are dead.

Windows 8

Windows 8 comes out this fall and the buzz keeps building! As most people know, it will run on both desktops and tablets, and offer touch screen capabilities and use tiles instead of the dreaded Microsoft start menu. New Windows 8 tablets are expected from all the major hardware manufacturers (Dell, Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, HP and Lenovo). We could also see a new crop of tablet-laptop combination devices, sporting Windows 8. The operating system might also work with the new Windows phones expected out later this year. The key for Microsoft is whether it can create a mobile experience for the desktop and can linking mobile devices with traditional desktops give it an edge in each of these markets? I think at the enterprise level, Windows 8 may help Microsoft protect its current customer base and stop the migration to Mac. But will it take off with consumers? I think that’s less likely. People love the iPad –no other tablets have succeeded but the iPad– and even Android is losing ground to the iPhone.

FaceBook IPO Troubles

I reported earlier about the long anticipated Facebook IPO, which took place on Friday. What happened next has turned into nothing short of a debacle. It all started with a Nasdaq glitch; early this week some brokerages were still unsure if their orders had closed, or at what price. Those traders that took losses because of the glitch are still waiting to hear what Nasdaq plans to do about compensating them. Lawsuit #1.

Totally separate from the Nasdaq issues, there’s a regulatory investigation beginning into how Facebook and its bankers handled sensitive financial information that was “selectively disclosed” to big banks ahead of the IPO. Lawsuit #2.

So why has the stock price fallen so much? Some market watchers are saying that Nasdaq’s glitch and other technical trading issues are contributing factors. But others attribute the demise to the IPO itself, which was remarkably high given Facebook’s financial fundamentals. All of the drama around Facebook’s IPO may have some investors taking a very close look at the company — and thinking twice about what its stock is really worth. The big question I have with Facebook, is could the stock take down the rest of the tech sector? Is it enough to “pop the bubble,” so to speak? Comparisons between today’s Internet IPO valuations and the Dotcom boom in the late 1990s have been coming for months now; and while they’re not the same, like any investment trend, they depend on strong investor confidence. Once investors lose confidence in a flagship company, that uncertainty could soon infect other industry brands as well, however unrelated. Facebook could end up blowing us away, of course. They’ve been criticized for being overvalued, and the P/E was at 100 – but remember that Apple’s IPO valuation in 1980 had a P/E ratio of 92. So there is a precedent for succeeding even with a massive valuation compared to actual revenue. I think to succeed, however, Facebook may have to change its attitude -especially toward consumer data. It may have to mine more. It will definitely have to do better on advertising, and mobile advertising is the key. But other approaches shouldn’t be taken off the table -like creating premium subscriptions and the like (think LinkedIn).

Mobile Advertising Challenges

Facebook will need to make some serious cash in the years ahead; while ads will account for a portion of projected revenue growth, in the ad space, Facebook simply isn’t completing well with giants like Google. Facebook will need to look to Apps (i.e. social games like Farmville) for new revenue streams. After all, as compared to ads, there are only so many ads that can be crammed onto a tiny mobile screen. Mobile advertising challenges will be largely driven by Facebook’s massive revenue demands, so I’m excited to see what new startups will end up playing a role in that. Could we see more private equity going into smart mobile advertising solutions? I definitely think so. And I think we could also see more acquisitions in this space occurring as well, from a lot of big brands.

Microsoft So.cl

Microsoft So.cl is being dubbed a “Bing Bulletin Board.” The new social sharing concept debuted this week as a possible rival to Facebook. So.cl looks to me like a hybrid of Bing Search, Pinterest and Facebook. Some have asked whether it’s the next Facebook (suggesting it might become a replacement). If Facebook invented what is modern day social media, why are people looking toward a gen-2 Facebook replacement? Facebook does what it does well. A competitor needs to INVENT something new to draw users away from something that is free and works well. We should look towards new tech startups (like Facebook once was — when it invented its own genre of technology). I am sure Microsoft understands it won’t know Facebook out so easily, since as of right now, users can only sign in to So.cl though their Facebook or Windows Live accounts. I’m not sure that I see So.cl succeeding at all. Google+ (a.k.a. Google c+) is having a hard enough time, and they have Google Search and the Android platform to support them. How can Microsoft even hope to succeed? I think the real direction for social networks today is one-to-one networking and private networks, sites that keep your information private. We’ve seen a bunch of these startups recently like Path, Pair, Cupple, Everyme and Sgrouples.

What does the Kleiner Perkins Lawsuit mean for Women in tech?

Women in tech is an issue that’s simmered for years – but it just got a lot hotter with a sexual harrassment lawsuit against the legendary VC firm Kleiner Perkins, by a former partner. The female investment partner claims she suffered multiple instances of sexual harassment, retaliation and sexual and gender discrimination over the past six years. Out of 50 people on its investment and operations teams, Kleiner employs 12 women, according to the firm’s website. These figures reflect that Kleiner is more gender-diverse than the venture capital industry as a whole, which is dominated by men, especially white men. I don’t think this suit can be marked as a clear reflection of the way women are treated in Silicon Valley or the technology space as a whole; it looks to me like an isolated incident. But nonetheless, this is terrible press for a company that, on the surface, has been trying to maintain gender diversity.

Are women treated differently in tech? It’s a hot topic of debate on SheBytes! For whatever reason, the majority of people in tech are men (or boys) and that’s definitely driven the culture. I don’t believe women are excluded from success in tech, but I think the fraternal nature of the industry might make it harder to network and gain notice. On the other hand, being a standout in a sea of men can also work in a woman’s favor; it depends how she plays it. We have some great role models out there with Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook), Meg Whitman (HP), Marissa Mayer (Google), etc., who have done it right!

Are social media and an online marketing strategy a good investment of time and money?

It should come as no surprise that the proliferation of social media has turned social networking into an important business tool. And with each year that passes, more and more social networking sites have cropped up, each with unique opportunities to market a business or product. The problem is: you only need to master them. No big deal, right? (I’m kidding).

Is it possible these days to grow an online business without an online marketing strategy –including all the liking, blogging, sharing and tweeting? After all, it’s time consuming! And for a SMB (small to mid-size business), traditionally run by a tiny staff (>10), it’s nearly impossible to both run a successful business and a successful social media campaign (I speak from experience!). Plus, would the time invested (hours and hours) justify the opportunity cost? What’s the return on investment? Or suppose you don’t social strategize, will it mean you get left behind as your competitors flourish?

There are platforms out there that promise to save you time; like Tweet Deck, which links all your social media sites into one. But even with those platforms, there’s a big learning curve. Not to mention that social networks are not created equal (they are not homogenous); LinkedIn isn’t Twitter. Twitter isn’t Facebook. Figuring out one platform doesn’t mean you know how to use them all –they are each unique and have a different purpose entirely.

What’s more, businesses themselves are not created equal; for example a successful online strategy for an apparel company would not translate well for a technology services business. Each business is unique and online marketing and social media isn’t a one-size fit all.

So should you spend time figuring it out? And if so, what impact would all those hours behind the computer have on your life as a living social being? Meaning, in the flesh with others.

What I can share from my personal experience with online marketing strategy, is that most people don’t have what it takes to really make a digital splash; mainly because it requires both a well thought through strategy and also a large investment of time; which most people or unable or unwilling to make.

Here’s what most people don’t know: there’s an emerging industry of people who have figured it out; people who know what works and what doesn’t; these folks are called internet marketing strategists, and they can help you navigate to an online marketing strategy that will fit in best with your time and budget constraints. The right consultant can perform a comprehensive online overhaul and use strategic combinations of various marketing initiatives (picked specifically for your business), to monetize your website, your business or your product. It’s a great alternative to trying to figure it out on your own. Learn more.

On the hunt for a job? Social media self promotion can help! With the current state of the job market, it’s natural for people who are about to enter the workforce and for the unemployed to panic. SheBytes wants to tell you one small thing:

Calm Down!

Even though the unemployment rate is still somewhere over 9%; I believe everything can be made positive if it is approached and responded to correctly. We don’t get to choose the times we live in, or the things that happen to us; but it is always in our power to react in a way which will better ourselves.

All that a high unemployment rate means is that jobseekers need to do their absolute best to stand out. Sure there’s going to be more competition as there are more applicants and fewer spots; so here are a couple of things you can (need), to do to stay ahead.

1. Become a LinkedIn member: Now although this may seem like an almost too obvious step, for getting yourself noticed in the job market; it’s constantly overlooked. Because of the digitization that has put us in the information age, one of the first things a future employer will do when even thinking about giving you an interview is Google you. If nothing whatsoever comes up; it’s sort of a red flag. Now the boss is thinking: “Why doesn’t she have a Facebook, a Twitter or even a LinkedIn I can check out?” With LinkedIn, you give yourself a completely digital profile, work resume and can show that you are engaged online in building a network; all vital to making the best possible first impression, even prior to meeting.

Already have profiles for the Holy Trinity (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), of Social Media sites? Check out About.Me and further personalize your online self!

2. Tap into virtual job fairs: Now that you’ve established a well-rounded online presence, start engaging. If you do a Google Search for job fairs in your area; the information will all be right there. You can really make sure that your time is well spent by doing research on various different job fairs and focusing on those that are specific to your skill set/industry.

Sure, my activity includes Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, StumbleUpon, RSS, YouTube and Disqus, (to name a few), but the truth is, while this may be overwhelming for others, for me, it’s just the beginning. Actually, the number or choices of which Social Media services you decide to use is totally unimportant. What’s crucial is the way in which you are able to harness these tools to create, engage and capture an audience.

Superfans are individuals who are not only loyal to you personally, but are able to generate substantial increased loyalty on their own. Superfans are valuable assets to “smart marketers” who should “identify and reward these superfans…and further provide them with ways to carry on their message.”

Snoop Dogg (of all people), made a brilliant move recently by using Facebook’s simple platform to exploit the economic cornerstone model, of supply and demand. He set up a system where, like GroupOn, “each day, one product is featured for a special group deal – the more “Likes” the product gets, the lower the price”. As Snoop knows, this is hugely beneficial in terms of profits. Because of the elasticity of demand, he will be able to profit from an increased number of buyers, each buying at progressively lower prices. In addition, his name, image and products will get free, consumer motivated publicity; creating pure “interactive dialogue”.

Source: www.thehunkies.com

In the same vein, SheBytes is more than just a blog. It is a platform and conduit for all of these abstract pieces of Social Media. The overarching goal; however, is to establish a loyal community solidly based on producing and sharing “interactive dialogue”.

So comment below, and tell your friends about these concepts so that they too will be able to garner a serious following (Snoop Dogg has 10,807,130 “Likes”, as of this morning)! Come on Super Fans –show me some love!

Want to know if you have clout on the Web? Now there’s a way to track your self-brand! It’s called Klout!

I love anything that not only premeditates the presence of an issue, but that also includes a thoughtful solution for it.

The Issue: As people become increasingly focused on the world of internet marketing, social media, self-branding and social networking, it’s easy to lose track of how well our efforts are actually doing.

The traditional definition of the word “clout” is, “pull; strong influence; muscle”, so it’s easy to see where the Klout team has drawn its inspiration from. Put simply, Klout is a social media scorecard. The site assigns individuals a personal “Klout Score”, ranging from 1 to a 100, which is a measure “of your overall online influence”.

It derives the score by using your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn account activity and very intelligently takes into account various parameters to rank your influence (ex: how influential are the people you interact with?). As simple as this may sound, it is Klout’s simplicity that is its greatest strength. Klout has made all of the crucial analytics particularly digestible and competitively enjoyable to track.

Just check out the “Dashboard” and “Profile” features which are packed full of helpful categories:

“Influenced By…” (track who influences you)

“You Influence” (well…that’s pretty clear; track people who you influence)

When you make a Klout account, (which is both quick to set up and a crucial tool for working on self-branding), don’t be discouraged if your score lands somewhere in the bottom of that 1-100 range. My personal score is 46, and I’m referred to as a “Networker”, two things I’m extremely proud of, considering SheBytes is still in its infancy and I absolutely love networking.

Klout has totally transported the customary understanding of “clout” to the modern age, and transformed it from an intimidating adjective into a desirable personal quality.

Social Media has changed relationships, the way we communicate and even break ups with our ex’s.

Once upon a time, breaking up meant an awkward conversation, removing a picture or two from your bed stand, and packing up your ex’s things into a box –never to be seen again. If your ex tried to call you afterward, you could ignore the call by sending it to voicemail. These days breakups are way different. Aside from having to publicly display your changed relationship status to 500+ Facebook friends and then field tons of questions from people you hardly speak with (case in point: misery loves company), there are so many things to consider, like: do I unfriend? Just the ex, or the ex and his/her friends? Their family? Where do you draw the line?

Wouldn’t it be great if somewhere under privacy settings, we had a special option for the people we’ve had relations with? One click and Facebook knows to block all content to them and update all of their existing tagged photos with horns? This would actually make for a pretty awesome app. Unfortuanely, no such thing exists (not yet at least).

In the best case (if you are super strong), you cut off all ties and forget you know the ex –or that he/she has an online identity at all. In the worst case, you succumb to your curiosity and snoop, and snoop, and snoop…

Lives Consumed by Technology

Our day and age has our lives consumed by technology. Thanks to social media sites (ex: Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, etc.) and networking sites (ex: LinkedIn), virtually every detail of our lives is a wide open spectacle. Most people have their photos, relationship status, employer, age, geography, phone number, email, friend lists and even current location out in the open for everyone to see. With this bevy of information on display, it’s really quite astonishing what can be deduced about a person –whether you know them or not. While social media sites can be excellent tools for communication when used properly, they can be haunting when misused (ex: for snooping).

Whether they’ll own up to it or not, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t checked out an ex’s page on Twitter or Facebook, gone through their photos, checked who they’ve friended, etc. With so much information available on demand, it’s virtually impossible not to re-visit the past; and quite frankly, when it’s one click away, it’s only human to want to know. But that curiosity makes moving on difficult, even if we absolutely know the relationship is over (and we were the one to initiate the breakup!).

Survey Says: We’re All a Bunch of Stalkers

According to a survey by YourTango.com, a love and relationship site, 74% of people look up their ex on the Internet and 86% admit to clicking through photos of them (14% of those people are married!). It’s not surprising then, that 71% reported they think about their ex too much. Well, how are you supposed to stop thinking about your ex when you know exactly where they are, with whom, and which mutual friends they’re still connected with? It’s simply not. After releasing these results, YourTango recognized that even if you’re married, when it comes to really putting the past in the past, we’re all basically screwed. So they came up with an empowering idea: “Break Up With Your Ex Day.” Every February 13th (the day before Valentine’s Day), YourTango encourages us to unfriend, unfollow, block and basically stop stalking our ex’s online. They even created an online badge for users to post publicly once they’ve completed the required steps to cleanse of the ex. Not sure if you have a problem? YourTango has quizzes to help you gauge exactly how obsessed you are.

Put a Stop to The Madness

Whether you’re single, dating, in a serious relationship, married or divorced, keep in mind that your past is never more than a click away. Truth be told, only you have the power to move on with your life by putting a hard stop to the social media stalking.

While designating a special day to unfriend, unfollow, de-tag — whatever it takes to cut your ex out of your life – is brilliant, I say don’t wait til’ February – do it now. I just did